Jensen Motors Rectification Manager | Life & Times Of John Baker
John Baker joined Jensen Motors as an Inspector, and was given the title, Rectification Manager. It was a job he quickly bored of, leading him in 1972 to take a position as a mechanic in the new enlarged Service Department.
After the demise of Jensen Motors, Baker moved across to Jensen Parts & Service, becoming the Service Manager, and later moved to International Motors.
There is little doubt that Baker was a true ‘Renaissance Man’. Outside of being an extremely skilled and knowledgeable engineer & mechanic, he was also a very proficient & prolific artist. With the help of Baker’s niece, Emma Lawley, and his old friends, John Page and Philip Franks, the Museum looks at the Life & Times of John Baker.
Jensen Motors Rectification Manager | Life & Times Of John Baker | Early Years
John Baker was born on 12th March, 1938, at 93d William Street, Great Bridge. His father, Leslie Baker, was born on the 23rd June 1907. His mother was Mary Baker (born Mary Smith on 25.01.1908), the daughter of a coal miner. She married Leslie Baker in 1926.
The 1939 electoral roll tells us that Leslie and Mary Baker were still living at 93d William Street, together with their children, two sons, Leslie and John, and a daughter, Joan.
Leslie senior was a motor driver by profession, working for the West Bromwich Corporation, probably driving vans for the council. He died from a heart condition at the very young age of 38 in 1945, leaving his wife Mary to bring up the children. She later re-married Cliff Markham.
John Baker initially went to his local Fisher Street school, and then to the George Salter Secondary Modern school from 11.
A nine year old John Baker viewed second in from the viewer’s left, wearing a grey blazer. The photograph is of the wedding of his sister Joan getting married to Percival-Frank Ellis in August 1947. John’s brother, Leslie Charles Thomas Baker is on the other side of the photograph. Mary Baker is to the right of Joan. Mary’s first husband (Leslie Lawrence Baker) had died from a heart attack in 1945.
Great Bridge, Tipton, bordering with West Bromwich. William Street, where Baker grew up, ran parallel with Great Bridge Street for a part of its length.
A young John Baker on the sea front with his step-father Cliff Markham and step sister, Linda. The photograph probably dates to the late 1940s.
Fisher Street School. The photograph was taken circa 1955.
A young John Baker.
Photograph of the 1952 Cross Country Team, at the George Salter School. Baker is standing forth from the viewer’s left.
After leaving school at 16, Baker started work at the Oak Road Bus Garage and also the Birmid Foundry in Smethwick. But the most important event of his teenage years was joining the RAF.
Jensen Motors Rectification Manager | Life & Times Of John Baker | RAF Years
In 1955, and at the age of 17, Baker joined the RAF. He tells us in his own words how that came about,
“I joined the RAF at the Birmingham Recruitment Office in 1955. After initial aptitude tests I was accepted for training as aircraft ground crew”.
S.A.C John Baker 4174074 took to the RAF like a duck to water. Posted to RAF Cardington for initial training, Baker was selected for a jet engine training course at RAF Weeton, near Blackpool.
At Weeton Baker was trained on Rolls Royce Derwent, and the DeHavilland Goblin. After approximately six months of training, Baker was assigned to RAF Germany. He gives us more detail,
“I took a special RAF train from Weeton to the port of Harwich, to embark on the overnight troop ship across to the Hook of Holland, arriving there in the early hours of the morning. From the Hook of Holland we boarded a train which took us through Holland and into Germany.
We finally arrived at the allocation centre at RAF Goch. I was assigned to the Technical Service Wing at RAF Wahn, near Cologne, under the overall command of Group Captain Lapsley.”
At RAF Wahn, Baker was charged with servicing Gloster NF 7s, 8s and 11’s, also with working on piston operated engines such as the Prentice, Anson and Devon.
A Gloster Meteor NF 11 at RAF Wahn during the 1950s.
Outside of servicing aircraft, there was also the occasional time off. This gave Baker the chance to indulge one of his life long passions – motor racing. A weekend leave in May 1956, allowed Baker and friends to drive from RAF Wahn to the Nürburgring to watch the Grand Prix.
Never without his camera, Baker managed to photograph some of the greats of the time, including, Fangio, Moss, Collins, and Hawthorn.
Baker captures Fangio on film at the 1956 Nürburgring Grand Prix.
There was also time off in the evenings, which gave the young Baker the chance to play the guitar. Typically he was always at the centre of any barracks room parties, where the lads could indulge in a sing-song and a few drinks.
As much as his time at RAF Wahn had been very enjoyable, it didn’t take long before Baker became bored with the continuous stream of very similar work, as he tells us,
“By 1956, I was bored with the Technical Wing’s constant stream of servicing. I asked for a transfer to 2 TAF 87 Night Fighter Squadron, which operated Meteor MK.IIs. They were keen to get their hands on an ‘engine-guy’ from Technical Wing, so I was accepted to the squadron. I was soon an active ground crew member of the squadron.”
Baker did a short exchange posting to Belgium, before returning to RAF Wahn, by which time, the RAF worked alongside the new Bundesluftwaffe which was being formed at that time.
It wasn’t long before RAF Wahn was officially handed over to the German Bundesluftwaffe, and 87 Squadron was moved close to the Dutch border at RAF Bruggen.
RAF Bruggen photographed by Baker.
Baker (sitting just to the viewers left of centre), along with other ground crew members at RAF Bruggen.
From Bruggen, much of 87 Squadron moved around other bases – including Baker. On one occasion, they travelled to RAF Sylt close to the Danish border.
Some ground crew were flown over to RAF Sylt, whilst others, including Baker, had to make their way by train. On Sylt, the squadron would take part in air to air firing exercises. Baker remembered one incident at RAF Sylt,
“A Belgium F-84 Thunderstreak had a stoppage on one of its four 50 caliber machine guns while on an air to air firing run. Upon landing, the impact of touchdown triggered the firing mechanism, resulting in a ‘runaway’ gun.
All the ground crew guys that were close to the landing Thunderstreak, hit the decks. Luckily no one was hurt.”
Baker photographs an F-84 Thunderstreak at Bruggen Air Base.
Baker makes the point that accidents, and tragedies did happen. Another occasion vividly remembered by Baker was the crash of an RAF Javelin at Bruggen. The Javelin was returning to RAF Bruggen after exercises, when the impossible happened – both engines suffered from Flame-out (the run-down of a jet engine or other turbine engine due to the extinction of the flame in its combustor). That said, the impossible did happen on occasion, and this Javelin wasn’t the only aircraft of its type to suffer from a double flame-out.
The pilot, Jimmy Breakwall, crash landed the plane, but was killed in the process. His crew had managed to eject, and survived. Baker and other ground crew personnel had to get the body of Breakwall out of the crashed plane.
The remains of the crashed Javelin photographed later by Baker. The Javelin was one of the first RAF production aircraft to be fitted with ejector seats, which certainly saved the crew in this instance. It isn’t known if the pilot’s ejector seat failed to work, or if he was hoping to bring the aircraft down in one piece.
2 TAF (Tactical Air Force) 87 Squadron at Bruggen. Baker is in the second row down, 4th from the viewers right.
Detail image showing Baker.
In 1958, Baker was posted back to the UK, and after two weeks leave, spent back at West Bromwich, he was posted to RAF Watton in Norfolk. Arriving at RAF Watton, Baker and a small bunch of other RAF chaps posted to 192 Squadron at Watton, went through the usual processing and paperwork.
Baker was assigned as an engine-fitter. Afterwards, they were led to a room, where they would receive a talk from the Commanding Officer. Baker takes up the story,
“Once seated, the Squadron’s Commanding Officer informed us that this was a top secret RAF station, engaged in E.C.M work (Electronic Counter Measures). We were told that any information relating to this base could not be divulged to anyone, not even our mothers. Any breach of the official secret’s act – by anybody – would be met by court martial and imprisonment.”
Baker found 192 Squadron to be a curious mix of various aircraft. There was three especially equipped MK.2 DeHaviland Comets, XK-655, XK-659, and XK-663 (XK-663 was destroyed in a hanger fire at RAF Watton in 1960).
These were ex-BOAC aircraft, the type with the square windows (known for depressurising and crashing). Other aircraft included specially equipped Canberras, there was also Lincoln Hastings, Varsitys, Vallettas, and NF 11s, all scattered around the base.
DeHaviland Comet XK-659 taking off during a ten day detachment.
Baker and his fellow ground crew members, would sometimes do ten day detachments to Norway, Gibraltar, Cyprus, Libya and Malta. Baker recorded that some of these detachments would be aboard the Comets, which could only pressurise to about 8 psi pressure (due to a weakness in the fuselage structure). The outcome being that all aboard had to use oxygen masks above 10,000 feet.
According to Baker, all of these trips were relating to ECM (electronic counter measuring) gathering, and at the time could be somewhat dangerous. As he later pointed out, a number of ECM gathering aircraft had been shot down by Russian Migs, when they had ‘inadvertently’ strayed across the Russian border.
This was the height of the Cold War, and it was only after the Cold War had ended that the ECM gathering work 192 ( later 51) Squadron had undertaken, became a matter of public knowledge.
Baker (to the viewer’s left of the three personnel) with 51 Squadron. The three were working on an oil pump related problem with this Avro Lincoln. First built in 1944, these were the last piston-engined bomber used by the RAF, and were discontinued in 1963.
Later in 1958, 192 Squadron was re-assigned as 51 Squadron. Baker completed his five year RAF engagement with 51 Squadron at RAF Watton in 1960. It was going to be civvy street now. But his time in the RAF would never be forgotten, and his passion for military and civilian aircraft continued for the rest of his life.
Jensen Motors Rectification Manager | Life & Times Of John Baker | Civvy Street
It was now time to adjust to ‘civvy street’. Baker’s friend, John Page, thinks Baker worked at a couple of different garages after leaving the RAF. He may have also worked at Guests, Ford garage up to 1963.
This would fit in with the fact that Baker was sent to Slough to do a Ford electrical course. in 1962. John Page joined Guests in 1963, and Baker wasn’t there then, which suggests he had moved to another garage by that time.
John Baker (extreme left of the image with beard) on a Ford Electrical Course at Slough during 1962.
During the middle to later 1960s, Baker worked at Caldene Autos, Dudley Port, Tipton. Syd Riley owned Caldene Motors, and although they primarily sold secondhand cars, there was a workshop at the back where the cars were checked over and made ready for sale – that is where Baker came in.
According to John Page, Baker painted a huge mural on the side wall of the Caldene Motors building. As Page is quick to point out, art and photography were two of Baker’s great passions, along with motor racing and aircraft. The large mural remained on the wall for many years after Baker left.
Baker enjoyed his time at Caldene Motors, but the scope of interesting mechanical work that he would need to do was limited. Next, Baker found employment with Sharrats Garage, West Bromwich.
Joining them in 1968, he is thought to have remained with them until the beginning of the 1970s. By then it was time for a change again.
Sharrats Garage, West Bromwich. A sepia-toned watercolour by Baker dating from 1968 / 69. Sharrats Garage was literally just across the road from Guests Ford Garage in West Bromwich.
Jensen Motors Rectification Manager | Life & Times Of John Baker | Joining Jensen Motors
The Kelvin Way factory of Jensen Motors.
Answering an advertisement for the position of Inspector at the West Bromwich company, Jensen Motors, Baker was called in for an interview during 1970. He was interviewed by Andrew Bee, Chief Quality Engineer.
The interview went well, and Baker was offered the job with a starting salary of £24 a week + bonuses. Although the position was called a generalised one of ‘Inspector’, this title took many different roles.
Baker would be involved more on the rectification side, making sure the rectification work pointed out by Inspection, was completed correctly. To that end, he was titled the ‘Rectification Manager’.
Initially, Baker was placed on the assembly line, where he would be put temporarily in each gang doing different jobs. Some gangs he would be with for, one, two or three days, while others he might stay with for up to a week, depending on the complexity of the work.
Inside a month, Baker was conversant with all the build up stages of the Interceptor. Assembly line Worker, Clive Kendrick, remembers Baker,
“When he [Baker] first started at the factory, they put Baker in each gang for a while to learn the ropes. Most of the time he would watch what the gang was doing, and sometimes, he would take part and do the procedure the gang was involved with.
I was tasked with wiring up within the engine-bay at that time, and he spent a couple of days with me, mainly watching what I did, but sometimes helping as well. “
Once his training was complete, Baker spent most of his time on the assembly line. If someone somewhere on the line was having difficulties fitting something, it would be Baker that checked what the problem was. However, most of his time was spent at the finishing end of the line, checking that everything had been fitted correctly.
In 1972, Baker was given a transfer to the new and much enlarged Service Department run by David Millard as Service Manager. Within the Service Department, Baker held the job title, Mechanic / Electrician.
Why exactly, Baker moved from being Rectification Manager, to Mechanic / Electrician in the Service Department isn’t known. Although employees changing roles and going up, or down, the ladder wasn’t anything unusual at Jensen.
However, in this instance, it was more probable that Baker was becoming bored checking that a rear light, or some other such thing had been fitted back on properly. He may possibly have just wanted to get back on the tools, and that is exactly what he would be doing in Service.
The new Service Department building opened in March 1972. After the closure of Jensen Motors in 1976, it was this building that became Jensen Parts & Service.
Initially, and as with all new chaps to the Service Department, Baker would be working in the ‘cage’. This was a wired off area within the Service Department, where car parts were disassembled, cleaned, and rebuilt.
Typical work would include the rebuilding of auto boxes, alternators and starter motors, along with servicing power steering racks etc. One of Jensen’s ‘Old Guard’, Bert Morris, ran the so-called ‘cage’, and new chaps to the Service Department would work directly under Morris for a month to get their feet.
The new enlarged Service Department, photographed not long after opening in March 1972. It quickly filled up with everything from general servicing to even light restoration work for the older cars.
Reporting directly to the Service Manager was the shop floor foreman, John Page. He had started at Jensen Motors back in 1968. Page and Baker became life-long friends, Page tells us more,
“Although the various Unions didn’t have a ‘strong hold at Jensen Motors, most of us belonged to one or the other. On one occasion a Union meeting was being held, I found these meetings incredibly boring, and always tried my best to evade them.
I ducked out of this particular meeting, and quietly went off to make myself a cup of tea, while the meeting took place. John B had exactly the same idea, and the two of us chatted over tea, while the others took part in the meeting. It soon became apparent that we had a lot in common, one being motor racing, which dominated the chat that day.”
Page remembers Baker’s car at the time,
“Like myself, John B had a secondhand mini. My one was in a basic mini blue. But John B’s was something to behold. With the racing driver, Jim Clark, being one of his heros, John had resprayed his mini in the Jim Clark racing colours of green and yellow. The paint job was just beautiful, and John had fitted a set of wide wheels.”
John Baker (on ground) with friend at an air display just outside Nottingham. The 1966 Mini was repainted by Baker in the Jim Clark racing colours of green & yellow.
Baker’s obsession with all things motor racing was infectious, and along with three other chaps from the Service Department, a plan evolved. The ‘cheeky’ four came up with a way to acquire motor racing memorabilia. Page takes up the story,
“Back in the 1970s, myself and John Baker used to go to all the motor racing events. John had a caravan, and we would often go the event and stay in the caravan. It wasn’t long before two other mechanics wanted to join us, so along came Alan Skelton, and John Latham.
One day we came up with the idea of getting a couple of the typists that we knew well enough, to do us some letters on Jensen Motors letter headings. It was completely unofficial, and looking back, a bit of a mad thing to do.
No doubt our heads would have rolled if we had been caught out. John B [Baker] and myself managed to get the addresses for all the heads of the different race meets, and race teams.
So, vaguely putting it across that we were involved in an official Jensen Motors race team , the letters would try and blag free entry tickets, and anything else we could get.
Sometimes it would lead to all sorts of memorabilia being sent to us, such as posters, race event stickers, badges, and even on occasion, signed photographs of racing drivers. To be fair, who wouldn’t believe such letters, all properly typed on full Jensen Motors letter headings.
From left to right: John “Bakes” Baker, John Latham, Alan “Ally Skelt” Skelton, John Page. The photograph was taken at the Jensen factory in October 1973. Some of the ‘Fantastic Four’s race memorabilia can be seen pasted up on the wall behind them.
Jensen Motors Rectification Manager | Life & Times Of John Baker | The Artist
Outside of his skill and passion for mechanical engineering, Baker was a proficient and talented artist. It was certainly an obsession, and when he wasn’t working, he was painting, and making sculptures.
Over the years he had various exhibitions. His work friend, John Page, remembers a exhibition of Baker’s sculpture that took place at the Brierley Hill Civic Centre. During the 1990s, Baker enrolled into the Ryland Memorial School Of Art at West Bromwich. Baker later passed his Batchelor Of Arts degree.
A photograph of Baker’s studio. Two paintings on the go at the same time, one of an aircraft, the other of a racing car.
Various watercolours by Baker.
Painting of racing driver, Peter Revson with the McLaren team at the British Grand Prix 1973 – a race that he won. One of Baker’s friends at the Jensen factory asked him if he would paint Revson’s win for him.
Ryland Memorial School Of Art, West Bromwich.
Portrait of a woman by Baker. The painting was completed in the 1990s for exhibition at the Ryland Memorial School Of Art.
Landscape also on exhibition at the Ryland Memorial School Of Art, and then given to Shiela Bronick, a friend of Baker’s from International Motors.
A wonderfully simple abstract painting by Baker. Many of his paintings remained unsigned, but often when he did sign them, they were signed ‘John B’.
A Rhinoceros running. A clay sculpture by Baker.
A proud Baker receives his Batchelor of Arts degree at the Ryland Memorial School Of Art.
Jensen Motors Rectification Manager | Life & Times Of John Baker | A Move To Jensen Parts & Service
With the demise of Jensen Motors in 1976, the remaining workforce was made redundant. However, for the lucky few, there was the possibility of moving across to a new company set up by Jensen Motors’ Company Secretary, Bob Edmiston.
The new company was called Jensen Parts & Service, and this would be running out of the former Service Department building. Edmiston had set the company up to service & repair Jensen cars, and continue the supply of parts for them.
Edmiston asked two trusted ‘Jensen’ men, Ron Freckleton (Production Manager), and Gilbert Hughes (Trim Shop Foreman) to put together a list of those employees to offer positions at Jensen Parts & Service. John Baker was one of those lucky employees.
An official letter, on Jensen Parts & Service letter heading, was sent to Baker on 22nd May 1976. The letter from Freckleton asks Baker to attend an interview with him on the 25th May in regard to future employment with Jensen Parts & Service.
Document from Ron Freckleton to John Baker regarding an interview.
The outcome was Baker continuing work in the same building that he had been working in for Jensen Motors. In fact, Baker along with a few others from the Service Department, had been asked by Bob Edmiston if they would help to take over various spare parts from the main factory to what would become Jensen Parts & Service.
As Jensen Motors was coming to the end of its day in the first half of 1976, Bob Edmiston, the then Company Secretary, asked some of the remaining staff, including John Page and John Baker if they would stay after work and help to take stuff over to what would become Jensen Parts & Service.
His idea was to get as much as was possible over to the Service Department (which was to become Jensen Parts & Service), before the auction in August, and the clear down and closing of the gates.
Page, Baker and the others would take anything that might be needed to keep the new company going, including large numbers of crates, and boxes of parts.
Amongst the multitude of items they moved, there was also two Jensen Healey body shells to be moved across. These were just basic unbuilt shells, and hadn’t even got to the stage of having chassis numbers attached to them.
It seems the shells wouldn’t be missed by the liquidators, and as such were fair game. At the Service Department, which was swiftly filling up, the two shells were left in a corner.
With a moderately smooth transition, Edmiston had Jensen Parts & Service ready to open directly after the gates of Jensen Motors were closed.
Jensen Motors Rectification Manager | Life & Times Of John Baker | Jensen Parts & Service Motor Racing Venture
Moving the Jensen-Healey shells across to what was to become the new Jensen Parts & Service building, had given Baker and Page an idea. Remembering back to the Scottish Jensen distributors, Jenscot, racing a Healey, and obviously, the trophy winning Huffaker racing Jensen Healeys in the USA – Baker and Page wondered if they could do something similar. Both John Laine, and Alan Skelton were also keen to be involved.
Baker and Page approached the subject to Edmiston , asking if he would entertain them turning one of the Healey shells into a race prepared car sponsored by Jensen Parts & Service.
Edmiston wasn’t prepared to go that far, but did throw out an offer to them. He countered that they could have one of the shells, and they could have any parts they needed to complete the build. However, all the labour would need to be done in their own time.
It was an acceptable compromise. Page believes the canny Edmiston wanted to see how well they did under their own steam, and thinks that if they had started to win races, he would have sponsored the team properly.
The four men worked most evenings, building up one of the Jensen-Healey shells up as a race prepared car. The car was raced throughout 1977, but unfortunately only achieved a third place.
The racing Jensen-Healey progressing. John Laine (working on the front brakes, and John Baker working on the engine.
The racing Jensen-Healey at its first race held at Mallory Park in 1977. Left to right: Alan Skelton, John Laine, John Baker, John Page, and Alan Skelton’s girlfriend.
With work quickly building up at Jensen Parts & Service, and changing circumstances with the four men, this was the only race year they undertook. By the end of 1977 the racing Jensen-Healey was parked up at the back of the Works, and was later sold off by Edmiston.
Jensen Motors Rectification Manager | Life & Times Of John Baker | Working At Jensen Parts & Service
We do not know the exact job description Baker was given at the point of working at Jensen Parts & Service, but it wasn’t long before he was given the position of Service Manager. Edmiston was never going to be running Jensen Parts & Service full-time, and another former employee of Jensen Motors, Ian Orford, was given the post of Managing Director by Edmiston.
Jensen Parts & Service were busy from the day they first opened their doors for customers. Obviously, the distribution of parts in the UK, and across the globe was an important part of the business, but servicing, and restoration of existing cars meant that the factory space was always filled to the brim.
For Baker, there was little time to think, from the time he arrived at work, until the time he left.
In 1980, Orford sent Baker over to Bologna in Italy to undertake a Maserati & De Tomaso course. There had been the odd Maserati given over to Jensen Parts & Service to undertake work – perhaps Orford thought there was more work of that nature that they could get.
Baker standing next to a De Tomaso Pantera at the Bologna factory, July 1980.
John Baker as Service Manager at Jensen Parts & Service. Baker checking a rectification list against Jensen FF chassis number 127/270. Photograph taken in 1982.
Baker as Service Manager at Jensen Parts & Service. Photograph taken 1982.
Work through the lens of Baker’s camera. Ian Orford checking progress of work to the so-called pre-production Interceptor S4, just outside the main doors of the factory. Baker was a keen photographer and often photographed cars when they came in for work, and work being undertaken to them. This photograph was taken in 1983, at which time they were getting the Aruba red Interceptor ready for the Earl’s Court Motorfair in October 1983. The car was later refinished to full S4 specification.
Jensen Motors Rectification Manager | Life & Times Of John Baker | Jensen Motors Golden Jubilee Painting
During 1983, Jensen Parts & Service Managing Director, Ian Orford, and Baker, discussed an idea for a special painting to celebrate the golden jubilee of Jensen Motors.
Orford had been inspired with the idea after seeing a couple of RAF montage style paintings that Baker had completed for various aviational museums.
Perhaps the exact same concept could be used to create a painting celebrating the personalities and milestones achieved by Jensen Motors. As the two men discussed the project, Orford mentioned the possibility of a limited edition fine art print being made from the completed work. This could be sold through the Jensen Parts & Service Parts Department.
Baker was completely taken with the idea, and it wasn’t long before he was building up initial sketches showing the legacy of Jensen Motors through the cars and personalities.
Armed with copious sketches, Baker set to work on the Golden Jubilee masterpiece. By Autumn 1983 the artwork was finished, after which, it was whizzed off to Birmingham to be professionally photographed in readiness for a limited edition print run.
The Jensen Motors Golden Jubilee painting starting to take shape. Baker’s nephews holding the painting.
Detail showing outline work to the top left of the painting.
The painting moving forward towards completion.
Baker together with his nephews, Michael & Brett, showing the completed Jensen Motors Golden Jubilee painting.
The fine art prints were made available for purchase as a limited edition of 100 prints in 1984 via the Parts Department of Jensen Parts & Service, one of which was framed and hung in the reception area of the building.
The finished 1934 – 1984 Golden Jubilee fine art print. This example belongs to the curator, Ulric Woodhams, and was given to him in 1984 during a visit to Jensen Parts & Service. Both John Baker and Ian Orford signed the print.
Detail of the print showing the signatures of Baker and Orford.
The print limited edition block to the reverse, showing the print is number 38 out of 100. It is signed by Bruce Collard, Parts Manager at Jensen Parts & Service.
The original ended up back with Baker, and he kept it until the 1990s. Meanwhile a Jensen enthusiast from the Midlands, Nigel Eades, had set up the Jensen Heritage Trust, and he was telling everyone that the Black Country Museum was backing his Trust.
Eades contacted Baker asking if he could have loan of the Golden Jubilee Jensen Motors painting for an exhibition of Jensen memorabilia, which was going to be taking place at the Black Country Museum.
Baker agreed, and Eades drove over to collect the painting. However, the so called Jensen Heritage Trust didn’t have any agreement with the Black Country Museum, and the painting was never displayed, and remained in the possession of Eades.
During the 2000s, Baker asked for the return of the painting, but Eades was not forthcoming. After Baker’s death in 2020, his niece, Emma Lawley, also contacted Eades asking for the return of the painting to the family.
By this time, Eades stated that Baker had given the painting to him. This was never the case, and today we have to consider this a stolen painting. Hopefully the painting will end up back with the family one day in the future.
Jensen Motors Rectification Manager | Life & Times Of John Baker | Production Of The Interceptor S4
Orford had an additional motif to Jensen Motors Golden Jubilee painting and limited edition print. Orford’s dream had been to move from the supply of parts and restoration of existing Jensen cars, to the actual production of an all new Interceptor.
It was a huge leap for such a small outfit as Jensen Parts & Service, but by the beginning of the 1980s, the dream was moving towards reality. A pre-production S4 had been completed using the basis of an existing Interceptor MK.III, and by 1984 the first brand new saloon and Convertible had been completed. The dream had become a reality, and Jensen Parts & Service, changed names to Jensen Cars Ltd.
The first production S4 Convertible about ready to be removed from the main jig.
The first production Interceptor S4 Convertible, completed in 1984. A photo-shoot was arranged directly outside the Jensen cars Ltd building with all the staff around the new car. John Page, Service Manager at Jensen Cars Ltd, is standing by the driver door, and John Baker (now Service Director), is by the passenger door sporting a beard. Ian Orford can be seen behind the car with moustache and glasses.
The first production S4 Convertible at the 1984 NEC Motor Show. Ian Orford stands by the passenger door.
Jensen Motors Rectification Manager | Life & Times Of John Baker | Boats & Cars
In 1984, Baker purchased a boat named ‘Brandybuck’, which Baker had moored at Ashwood Marina. His brother Les had bought a boat called the ‘Robin’, and once Baker had been on a couple of trips on his brother’s boat, he decided he wanted his own.
As with everything Baker became involved with, he took his boating seriously, and whenever he had the chance ‘Brandybuck’ would be away from its mooring travelling along a variety of rivers. All the trips were carefully written up in his ‘Bandybuck’ logbook. On many of these excursions, Baker would be accompanied by friends and family.
Baker aboard ‘Brandybuck’ on the Shropshire Canal, enroute for Chester.
Incredibly, also in 1984, Baker also purchased a rare Gordon Keeble car, car number ’86’ out of the mere 100 Gordon Keeble cars that were made. John Page remembers the Gordon Keeble,
“One day John [Baker] arrived to work in a Gordon Keeble, we all came out to have a look. It was a really nice car. I can’t remember how John ended up acquiring the car, and he didn’t keep it for very long. After the Gordon Keeble was sold, John was given a Subaru works car to use. In fact I was given one to use as well.”
Baker’s Gordon Keeble. parked outside Jensen Parts & Service in 1984. The car was chassis number ’86’ out of the 100 cars produced.
Jensen Motors Rectification Manager | Life & Times Of John Baker | Back To Work
1984 had definitely been an incredible year, both for Baker himself, and for the newly named Jensen Cars Ltd. However, the first production S4s had strangely caused a rift between Baker and Orford. John Page tells us more,
“To build an all new Interceptor required a new jig to make the chassis – something Ian [Orford] didn’t have. A local firm were given the job of manufacturing a complete jig for the build up of the new S4.
However, with just one jig available, just one car could be built in it at a time. John [Baker] stated to Ian – quite firmly – that another jig should be built, so that two cars could be built up at the same time.
Ian, concerned about the runaway finances, disagreed, telling John there wasn’t the finance available to have another jig built. Unfortunately, the whole matter of the single jig, and the ‘slow’ production , left John feeling demoralised.”
News of Baker’s demoralisation came to the attention of another local firm, and Baker was just the ‘catch’ they were looking for.
Baker wearing overalls bearing both Subaru and Jensen Parts emblems. Photograph probably taken in 1984.
Jensen Motors Rectification Manager | Life & Times Of John Baker | Joining Evans Halshaw
By 1985, the Dudley branch of the large Evans Halshaw car group, offered Baker a position as Service Manager. They were official Rolls Royce & Bentley agents, so Baker quickly found himself on a new learning curve. This time coming to terms with Rolls Royce engineering. That said, for the likes of Baker the nuances of Rolls Royce would be quickly mastered.
Rolls Royce | Bentley Service Managers Conference held at Glen Eagles Hotel, Scotland in 1986. Baker can be seen by the right-hand entrance pillar wearing a tan jacket. During the annual conference, Rolls Royce | Bentley, would give an award for the ‘best’ Service Manager. Baker received that award for 1986.
Baker (to the right) looking rather distinguished. The photograph was taken in 1986 when he was Service Manager at Evans Halshaw, Dudley. Rolls Royce | Bentley gave out a Service Manager award each year. Baker had the honour of receiving the award while working at Evans Halshaw.
Baker remained with Evans Halshaw for approximately three years. Around 1988, Baker was offered a position at International Motors. It was time for a change once again, and to some extent took him back to the ‘fold’, with International Motors history back to Jensen Motors.
Jensen Motors Rectification Manager | Life & Times Of John Baker | Joining International Motors
During 1988, Baker was offered the position of Technical Service Officer at International Motors which, by this time, imported Subaru and Isuzu cars. Baker accepted the new position.
The new job was a perfect fit for Baker. It offered him many opportunities to extend his knowledge of engineering, and also to travel, with at least one work related trip to Japan. In fact the trip to Japan led him to start learning Japanese.
Baker in Tokyo, Japan during the early 1990s. The trip was an in depth engine course put on by the car manufacturer, Isuzu. International Motors took on the UK distributorship of Isuzu in 1987.
A formal dinner put on by Isuzu for all those taking part in the course. Baker second in from the left holding chopsticks.
John Baker with International Motors, Paul Bond, at the NEC Motor Show held in the later 1990s.
Various corporate name tags and business cards used by John baker while working at International Motors.
Jensen Motors Rectification Manager | Life & Times Of John Baker | Retirement
Baker gives a speech at his retirement party held in 2002.
Baker retired from International Motors in 2002, at the age of 64. Retirement gave him the time to devote to his obsession as an artist, along with his hobbies relating to military & civil aircraft.
To some extent there was an overlap. Having joined various military & civil aircraft museums and societies, Baker was often given commissions to paint aircraft, and aircraft scenes – many of which are on show within museums to this day.
Montage oil painting of Eagle Squadron. The squadron was made up of three fighter squadrons of the Royal Air Force, formed with volunteer pilots from the United States. This was during the early days of World War II, prior to America’s entry into the war in December 1941. Baker completed this artwork during his retirement in 2004. The montage style was something he had come up with back in the 1970s, and was used for the Jensen Motors Golden Jubilee painting. Baker continued to use it for many works, particularly commissioned works for museums.
John Baker died at the age of 82 from a heart attack, on the 21st February 2020.
Jensen Motors Rectification Manager | Life & Times Of John Baker
SPECIAL NOTES: John Baker wrote a memoir of his time with the RAF between 1955 – 1960. Information and quotes have been taken from that memoir.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Andrew Bee, Chief Quality Engineer, Jensen Motors | Philip Franks | Emma Lawley (niece of John Baker) | Clive Kendrick, Assembly Line, Jensen Motors | John Page, Foreman, Jensen Motors | John Staddon, CV8 Registrar, Jensen Owners’ Club | Tipton Civic Society
COPYRIGHTS: Jensen Museum | Emma Lawley (niece of John Baker) | Tipton Civic Society
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: If you have any additional information about this feature, please contact us at archive@jensenmuseum.org or telephone on: +1694-781354
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